Up your game! Wenger demands improvement from Arsenal after 'average' show against Chelsea

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger accepts his side cannot afford many more 'average' performances like against Chelsea if they are to have a say in the Barclays Premier League title race.

The Gunners went into Saturday's showdown with the leaders at the Emirates Stadium unbeaten, and holding some genuine hope of making a real impact again at the business end of the table.

However, despite creating several good openings - with Blues keeper Petr Cech denying both Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, who then missed a great chance in stoppage time - Arsenal were the architects of their own downfall against a well-drilled Chelsea outfit.

Unhappy: Arsene Wenger wants his side top improve on their 'average' display

Goals from Fernando Torres and Juan Mata's free-kick secured a 2-1 victory for the visitors.

And Wenger said: 'We can be much better. Technically we were average, and also so was our authority at the back.

'When you play at home and concede two goals from set-pieces, it is unacceptable.

'I think there is some psychological damage because we lost the game and the players are very disappointed, especially because we have lost a game we should not have lost and that is where we have some work to do, especially in some aspects of our defensive game.'

Torres had got the better of Laurent Koscielny - who retained his place ahead of Per Mertesacker as captain Thomas Vermaelen returned to the defence - to fire the visitors ahead on 20 minutes after Arsenal failed to deal with Mata's free-kick into the penalty area.

Runaround: Fernando Torres (left) got the better of Laurent Koscielny on a number of occasions on Saturday

Up your game: Santi Cazorla (right) was unable to create many openings for Arsenal

Although Gervinho levelled with well-taken equaliser just before the break, another curling dead-ball delivery from Mata found its way into the bottom corner on 53 minutes as Koscielny's slight deflection only helped the ball past Vito Mannone.